Lawmaker and PACs attain mutual results (Oxley - Repug)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03342/248764.stm

As a 22-year veteran of Congress and one of the Republican Party's biggest fund-raisers, Mike Oxley is a long way from his roots in the small town of Findlay in central Ohio.

In his first campaign for Congress, the candidate, who grew up a few blocks down Main Street from Marathon Oil Co., accepted donations of $12,000 from the oil, gas and chemical industries.

But it would take a career of supporting legislation that helped corporations or opposing legislation that they opposed to garner nearly $9 million in campaign contributions, most of it from big businesses and the trade associations that they finance.

An investigation by The Blade of Toledo into Oxley's power and its connection to campaign financing reveals a pattern of political support and high-stakes contributions.

To Oxley, there's nothing wrong with the company he keeps or the donations he gets: They're a constitutionally protected form of financial free-speech from like-minded people or corporations to show Oxley that they support actions the affable congressman would have taken anyway.

[Kolesar]

1. This is a great summary of PACs and quid pro quo methods eom

[ellie]

2. I especially liked this line:

"In essence, the House's top banking watchdog has become an ATM for the Republican Party."